


The Name They Gave Him

by BrofriendWrites



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Minor Character Death, Mostly Gen, Multi, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape/Non-con Elements, Recovery, Starvation, Trauma, Violence, War, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is sad, and I mean EVENTUAL, end-game zukka, oc characters you get attached to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:14:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24694342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrofriendWrites/pseuds/BrofriendWrites
Summary: When Zuko is banished, he's sent to a prison camp to waste what's left of his life away. Too bad fate has other plans.orBasically a recovery fic that I wanted to have plot.Please be aware of the tags and heavy themes. But it's only dark for a little bit, don't worry Sokka is there to comfort him soon :,(
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 56
Kudos: 445





	1. The Mines

**Author's Note:**

> Warning tags for this chapter- pretty much everything in the tags except for the recovery and eventual tags. Let me know if I missed anything though! I'm new to dark themes and plots, so please take this with a grain of salt. 
> 
> This is loosely inspired by the fic 'Ozymandias, King of Kings' by Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought 
> 
> But if you do like it, comments and kudos are very much appreciated.

Zuko squints into the sun as he exits the mine, stomach grumbling and head aching. His mouth is parched and tastes of dust, lips cracked and bleeding. His breathing is labored and sounds like a harsh wheeze every time he exhales. He doesn’t bother trying to clear his throat, knowing it will just further irritate his sore throat. The other prisoners around him avoid him like the plague- probably because he has the plague.

He’s actually not sure what he has. It’s more likely a common cold that his body couldn’t fight off and lead to an upper respiratory infection. Either way, people aren’t willing to risk it. 

His group lines up outside, watching the guard that has been assigned to lead them around as he counts everyone in line. Zuko hears him mutter, 

“2109…” As he passes him, which he has long recognized to be his prisoner number or whatever. Zuko waits until the guard is a safe distance away before coughing. 

“Where’s 3620?” The man suddenly booms, eyes raking up and down the line of prisoners. A few of them glance left and right, shackled hands crossed in front of them. Zuko doesn’t bother, but his gut sinks with sudden overwhelming dread. He closes his eyes and shifts his weight onto his other aching foot. “Does anyone know what happened to 3620? Speak up now.”

An older woman tentatively raises a hand by her head and the guard nods in her direction, eyes steely. “You may speak.”

The woman clears her throat before getting out, “I saw him collapse in mine 2F.” 

The guard curses before raising his voice. “You know what that means.” He snaps his fingers. “Youngest men, go find him. Group of five. Make it quick.” 

Zuko tries to sigh through his nose but it just makes him cough. He steps forward anyway, eyeing the four other men who step forward. The new guy, who’s maybe twenty, hangs back by Zuko as they all re-enter the mines. 

“So we just… Go find him?” He asks nervously. Zuko’s gaze flicks over to him. He still looks relatively healthy. He hasn’t lost all of his muscle mass and his voice is still clear. 

Zuko purses his lips and studies him for a moment, pity in his gaze, before he finally gives a nod of his head. Taking a hint, the new guy doesn’t say anything, and instead follows in step behind him. 

It takes them about fifteen minutes to lower themselves to mine 2F, though it feels much longer. Zuko’s cough is worse down here, the soot and ash getting caught in his throat on every other inhale and he coughs thickly, having to stop twice. The only one who waits for him is the new guy. Zuko doesn’t thank him. Praising someone for being soft will only get them killed here. 

The old man that’s been labeled 3620 collapsed at the back of the mine, pickaxe on the ground next to him. His breathing is labored and his eyes are open and glossy, but he doesn’t seem to be conscious. One of the older guys- Zuko thinks his name is Lee- is the first one to bend down and feel the mans pulse. 

“It’s fast.” He says grimly. 

“Let’s get him to the infirmary.” The new guy says. Zuko sets his mouth in a hard line and he crouches by the mans head. 

“Hey,” He tries, voice rough. He clears his throat and tries again. “Hey!” He gives the man's shoulder a shake. “Get up so we don’t have to haul your ass all the way up.” 3620’s eyes focus on him for a moment before rolling back up into his head. 

Zuko sighs. “Looks like we’re carrying him.” He says, looking up at the others. The other men nod, except the new guy, who looks like he’s gonna’ hurl. 

“Who’s in the best shape here?” The tallest asks. “I was able to get food rations this morning and I have good shoes, so I can at least take half his weight.” He looks between all of them, studying who can best help. His eyes settle on Zuko for just a moment, who gives a minute shake of his head. He’s pretty sure he’ll pass out if he tries to take this man’s dead weight. 

“I can.” The new guy volunteers and wraps his fingers around the old man’s ankles. Zuko moves so the tall guy can get under his armpits, but as soon as they try to lift him the man tenses and groans, and the new guy drops his legs and exclaims, “He’s hurting!”

The tallest sets his head down slowly and gives the new guy an annoyed look. 

“Of course he’s hurting.” He says gruffly. 

Zuko sucks in a breath that sends him into another coughing fit, and he turns away from the others as he coughs thickly, bile pooling in the back of his mouth that he spats onto the rock floor. 

They wait for him to quiet before saying anything else. 

“Does anyone know his name?” Lee asks finally. No one answers. 

“I don’t know but it’s been a while.” The third guy says nervously, shifting from foot to foot. 

The old man suddenly seizes, his eyes opening wide and his fingers going stiff. He looks at the men above him before his eyes roll back and his lids close. 

“What the fuck?!?” The new guys panics. “Is he having a seizure?!” 

The old man falls limp and Zuko looks away, gaze low. He knows he’s dead even before Lee checks his pulse. 

“Should we give him CPR?” The new guy asks as the tall one goes to lift him up under his armpits. 

“There’s no way he’s coming back. We don’t have any of the right tools.” Lee says. 

“He had a respiratory infection.” Zuko informs the others. “Probably.” 

“Yeah…” The tallest glances at him warily. “I guess it’s going around.” He quickly looks away before adding on, “But he was old too so it was probably harder for him to fight it.” 

They all nod in agreement and the new guy grabs the old guy’s feet. 

“Don’t throw up.” Lee warns him when he gags. “Never know when you’re gonna’ eat again.” 

The new guy gulps down his apparent nausea and nods. Halfway back to the surface, the tallest guy has to take a break, breathing heavily. 

“Who wants to take him the rest of the way?” No one answers. “C’mon, unless you want to miss dinner?”

The other two guys send glares Zuko’s way, obviously waiting for him to volunteer. He is the youngest after all. Screw that. Zuko has been in this hell-hole since he was thirteen. They can both fuck off. He glares back at them. 

“Your turn.” Lee tells him and Zuko shakes his head. He’ll fight dirty if he has to. 

“I haven’t eaten in two days.” He tells him and Lee sighs. 

“Probably because you’re too slow to get to mess hall.” He grumbles but reluctantly hoists the body up. 

  
  


“Took you long enough!” The guard bellows when they finally return. He eyes them. “Is he alive?” He finally asks, lips turning up in disgust. 

Lee shakes his head. 

“Bring him to the pile.” The guard instructs them with a wave of his hand and Lee and the new guy leave the group. 

“Alright let's move out!” The guard calls. “Maybe next time you’ll inform someone sooner when another prisoner keels over so we can leave when the day is up.” Zuko vaguely wonders why he cares enough to even say so, but then he remembers the guards eat when they get off duty and he’s probably hungry. Poor thing. 

The mess hall is full and predictably, the grool that’s left is crusty and burnt on the bottom of the bowl. And Zuko only gets a spoonful of it scooped into his bowl. He glances at the woman serving the food and she raises an eyebrow at him. Zuko doesn’t recognise her. Sometimes if the right person is working, he can pause or grumble about getting another spoonful, and they’ll give it to him. At first Zuko thought it was out of the kindness of their hearts, but it’s more likely they just don’t care and don’t feel like dealing with him. 

Zuko shuffles his feet. 

“I haven’t eaten in two days, ma’am.” He says humbly, ducking his head and pushing his bowl forward a bit. 

“Is that so?” She scoffs, but she takes his bowl and spits in it. Zuko’s stomach turns unpleasantly. He nods and takes it back, moving out of line. 

“2109 asked for seconds.” The woman calls over to a few guards. The guard that’s been assigned to his group, who’s currently eating a nice full meal with a few other prison guards, turns in his seat and glares straight at Zuko. He shudders and swallows, feeling his tray shake as his hands start to tremble. To his horror, he just mouths ‘ _ Later _ ’. 

Zuko tries to calm himself down by telling himself the man will forget. He’ll get drunk or caught up talking and forget all about him talking out of turn. He sits down on one of the hard benches and scoops the grool into his mouth before he can think too hard about it, shutting his eyes tight against the disgust that makes his stomach roll dangerously. 

Someone sits down beside him on his left and Zuko jumps, turning his head so he can look at the intruder with his good eye. He has had trouble hearing out of his left eye and ear since it healed. Well, ‘healed’.He supposed it never really got better. Just stopped hurting and oozing. 

“So, did you get that scar here?” He asks and Zuko identifies him as the new guy. Zuko sighs roughly, and coughs into his elbow. 

“Kind of rude to ask don’t you think?” He grumbles, sliding his fingers along the bottom of the bowl to get whatever’s left. 

“Sorry.” He says simply, but still looks expectant. Zuko frowns, but finds his prior shakiness has eased, so he decides to humor him. 

“Firebending accident.” He says shortly. “Didn’t get it here.” 

The man nods slowly. “Are you the Prince?” 

Zuko flinches. 

“I mean- I just know that the Prince was banished with a traitor's mark and you’re about his age…?” 

Zuko picks up his bowl and stands before looking down at him with a glare. 

“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t know the answer to.” He tells him before going to get in line to rinse his bowl. If he thinks people here like to sit around and tell ‘how I got arrested’ stories like preteens at a sleepover, he’s going to end up getting the shit beat out of him. 

“Sounds princely to me.” He hears the new guy mutter when he turns. He doesn’t dignify that with a response. 

His legs ache as he stands, and he lifts an ankle behind himself to stretch his thigh, bracing himself on the wall for balance. The guard nearest him watches with a cruel gaze, and Zuko tries not to cower, setting his foot back on the ground. 

The bite of food he got ends up just making him hungrier. It was like a tease. Activating his metabolism but not giving it anything to burn through. He swallows thickly, grateful he at least got a decently large cup of water. Water wasn’t hard to come by here since it rained a lot. Sometimes it was a bit brackish but it helped subdue the sharp edge of hunger and cleared his head. 

When it’s his turn in line, he grabs one of the dish towels off the counter that’s cooled since they never reheat them after they initially run hot water through them. He proficiently rubs down the inside of his bowl before setting the towel back on the counter and stacking his dish with the others before getting out of line. 

He stands in line at the fourth door that leads to the fourth barrack. He’s one of the first ones in his group that finished up, and he rocks impatiently on his heels. People like to lolligag and take their time eating despite being on a tight schedule. They’re only given about half an hour to eat and clean their places before heading to the mines or back to their bunks. But the prisoners are allowed to talk to each other during meal times. Zuko figures it’s to keep morale up just enough to avoid a mutiny. 

The guard that’s assigned to watching their group stands up from the table where the other workers sit and bellows, 

“Barrack 46! Line up!”

Zuko swallows, grateful he’s not at the front of the line when the guard stands at the head. He ducks his head, trying to look as small and inconspicuous as possible. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his scratchy, stained gray uniform. It’s baggy after he lost weight and they never bother to replace them, and he uses a vine he found walking to the mines to hold them up. 

“Let’s move!” The guard calls to their group, waving an arm to usher them forward. The other guard with him hovers close to the prisoners, counting them as they pass. As they walk, Zuko watches the guard lean down to taunt the woman in the front row, who looks at him with a blank stare. “You know what day it is?” He asks. She doesn’t move, and his lips curls. He backhands her. Hard and sudden. Zuko feels a gasp pull from his lips as he flinches backwards. The line stutters to a stop. “I SAID ‘do you know what day it is’?” He asks again, anunciating each word slowly, as if she were too stupid to understand. Zuko thinks he hears her finally murmur, “No.”

The guard straightens, looking at the rest of the group, a fake smile on his face. “It’s thursday.” Zuko can almost hear the collective groan from the group, although no one actually does. Thursday is shower day. What a way to top everything off. 

“‘Thursday’?” The new guy hisses from behind him and Zuko startles, giving him a sharp look that screams ‘ _ shut up! _ ’. 

Their group is ushered to their bunk-house, through the long hallway past all of the rooms and exit out the door at the very back. It’s all concrete out here, with one large hose hanging on the back wall, and a long textured washing pail to the left. The guard wordlessly fills up the bin, not bothering to tip it over and clean out the previous, scummy water sitting at the bottom. Everyone stands in silence, except for the occasional clang of chains here and there as people shift, for a few minutes. 

Once the guard deems the pail full enough, he withdraws the hose and looks back at them with a sort of evil amusement in his eyes. 

“First in line.” He barks. The woman at the front that had refused to answer him earlier steps up, wordlessly and expressionlessly stripping her clothes and letting them fall to the ground next to her. She’s not that old. Maybe in her thirties. But her skin hangs in the tell-tale way it does after someone who was on the heavier side loses a lot of weight. She’s skinny, but not all skin and bones, and Zuko jealously wonders where others get their food from. 

When she’s completely bare, she stands against the concrete wall and is blasted with cold water. Her expression finally breaks as she lets out a small shriek. She quickly schools her expression though and wordlessly lets the water beat against her skin, using her opposite hands to rub at her arms and shoulders. Cleaning off a week’s worth of sweat and grime. Zuko politely, or maybe just uncomfortably averts his eyes. 

Some stare, usually the weird ones. The prisoners who are desperate for intimate human contact, the ones that possess morbid curiosity or just the ones that don’t care if they stare or are caught staring. Zuko suddenly regrets only being fourth in line. He knows people won’t be bored of staring so quickly.

The next two people are an older man, maybe in his fifties with gray hair; bone thin with a gaunt face, and a woman in her mid-twenties, who looks rather healthy. Zuko knows it’s probably because she receives extra food from participating in...extra activities with guards after sundown. It’s hard not to envy her. Her shoulders look strong compared to everyone else in their group, and her bosom and hips still possess the curve they’re supposed to have. 

As Zuko slips off his clothes, a chill already sets into his bones. He hasn’t even been blasted by the cold water yet. He crosses his arms to hug himself around his waist, trying to give himself the illusion of privacy. He squeezes his eyes shut at the burst of cold water on his skin. It’s so cold it  _ burns _ and Zuko gasps for air, struggling to hold in any sounds of pain. He coughs thickly and his stomach churns. Every instinct he has is begging for the water stop touching him or for him to run away. He’s not protected and it’s too cold. But after a few seconds he actually starts to go numb to it and is better able to clean himself. 

When the guard finally shuts the water off, Zuko is shaking so hard that he nearly falls over when he goes to pick his clothes off the ground. He drags himself over to the washing pail and scrubs his clothes clean in the plain water the best he can while trembling so violently. After a few minutes, the new guy crouches to the right of him before giving him a small, sad smile. 

“Let me.” He says softly, setting his hands over Zuko’s clothes. When he looks at him, he notices he’s much more stable than Zuko himself, although just as wet and cold. He’s still  _ fit _ . His chest and shoulders are strong and his hands are steady and much warmer than Zuko’s own. 

Zuko finally looks up to meet his eyes, which are framed by long dark eyelashes, glinting in water droplets that fall from his hair. He swallows before nodding jerkily, letting him take his uniform from him. He presses his curled up fists into his thighs, trying to will his muscles to stop clenching and unclenching. It’s miserable. 

The new guy inconspicuously hands him his uniform back and smoothly picks up his own as if he’d never helped Zuko at all. Zuko nods his thanks, although he’s not sure if he sees it, and sluggishly pulls on his clothes, which only serve to make him more cold. They don’t have any other clothes to wear until they dry.

Zuko waits in line for everyone else to finish washing up and cleaning their clothes. He keeps his arms wrapped around himself as much as possible, attempting to salvage his own warmth. 

“Inside!” The guard commands, and the line moves back inside. It’s slightly warmer inside, and Zuko lets out a small sigh of relief. That of course launches him into another coughing fit that he nearly doubles over from. They stop at each line, every person being shoved into their shared rooms before the metal door is slammed shut and locked. It never opens at night unless a guard needs to open it to punish someone. The amount of times people have murdered each other in there is way more than Zuko wants to think about right now. 

Zuko, the new guy and two other men go single-file into their room. It’s very small, with bunk beds on either side and about four feet in between. There’s one small grimy window towards the ceiling against the back wall. Zuko often wonders why they even bothered putting one there. The new guy watches Zuko climb into his top bunk with shaking limbs, as if to make sure he doesn’t fall. 

The new guy finally climbs into the bunk under him, and Zuko can’t help but think about the guy who used to have his bed. He had long brown hair that was tied in a top knot when he first arrived but immediately was shaved off. He was quiet. Uptight when he first got here and immediately knew who Zuko was and hated him. He’s not sure what he died from. Starvation is his best guess but he’s not really sure. He just remembers him being cold and stiff when he went to give his shoulder a shake, and when he finally got the courage to flip him over his face had been void of all color and his eyes were open and gray. 

Zuko’s stomach churns with nausea and he shudders, turning over in his bed and trying to calm the chill that has set deep in his bones. They don’t have blankets or pillows but their cots could be worse. They’re stiff but it’s better than just sleeping on concrete or something, Zuko muses to himself. 

After what seems like hours of Zuko only slightly dozing off before getting awoken by his own coughing fits, the metal door to their room bangs open. He jumps awake and at first thinks it must be morning, but a quick glance shows it’s not even early enough for the light to start peeking over the horizon. Zuko peeks over the edge of his bed to see The Guard walk in. There are people behind him as well and Zuko ducks out of the way, chest pounding.

‘ _ Pleasedon’ttakemepleasedon’ttakemepleasedon’ttakeme- _ ’

“C’mon out Princey~” One of the guards taunt in a sing-song voice. Zuko’s blood runs cold. 

“No-” He hears himself whimper before a hand is yanking him by his hair out of the top bunk. His heels bang against the floor and he claws at the hand yanking his hair. “Just beat me!” He yells at the man and gets slapped for it. Zuko grunts, the grip on his hair releases and he falls to his knees. He tastes blood in his mouth and nose. 

“What are you doing?!?” The new guy is in front of Zuko, arms out to the side like a human shield. He’s breathing heavy. Zuko’s first reaction is to tell him to not be stupid but- if it means he gets out of his punishment, he finds he’ll sink lower than low. He swallows his words down, his good eye wide. 

“Trying to play superhero huh?” The guard spats at him. “You protective of him? The traitor?!” He lets out a cruel laugh and punches him swiftly in the gut. The new guy lets out a warbled noise as he doubles over. “Try anything else and I’ll cut off your balls.” He tells him before shoving him roughly back onto his bed. 

“Get up. He tells Zuko, who’s shaking so badly in his still-damp clothes that it takes him a long moment to rise to his feet. 

“Please beat me.” Zuko murmurs, praying to Agnis that the man has some form of mercy in his heart. 

There’s a pause, as if he’s actually considering it, but then another guard lets out a bark of a laugh. “Depends on what kind of beating you’re talking about.” He jokes. 

The guard in front of him grabs him roughly by the shoulder and drags him out of his room, shoving him towards the other two men before he closes and locks the door behind them. 

They drag him- literally drag him because his legs refuse to move on their own- to the main guard’s bedroom at the end of the hall. It’s carpeted, has a bathroom with running water, a full sized bed, as well as a desk and a dresser. They toss him onto the bed, laughing with thin, cruel smiles on their faces. Zuko finds he can’t focus on any of them, and he spaces out as large hands ruck their way up his shirt. 

“What? Are you not grateful for the food you get?” One says as he unbuttons his pants. He vaguely recalls that he’s being punished for asking for ‘seconds’ during mess hall. Zuko swallows and lets his eyes unfocus on the ceiling. It’ll be over soon. He just has to wait it out. 

“Ew he’s gotten so skinny!” One guffaws, cringing as he pulls his hand away from Zuko’s rib cage. Good. Zuko thinks idly. He’ll eat even less next time. 

“At least he’s got a cute face if you cover the scar.” The guard says with a wince. “Hand me something to blindfold him with.” 

After a few moments, something is wrapped around his head and tied at the back. “Why not just leave me alone? If I’m so ugly.” Zuko manages. He gets backhanded. 

“You’re still a little hole to fuck.” One says. Zuko hears them shuffling around, and manages not to let out a choked sob when his pants are yanked down and he’s positioned on his knees. Zuko’s breath starts coming in short pants, cold panic setting into his bones. 

‘ _ Just be still. It’ll be over soon. Just be still. It’ll be over soon. Just be still- _ ’ 

He kicks his leg back on instinct with a yell and he hears someone grunt in response as his foot makes impact with something. Zuko is freaking out too much to celebrate the small victory. He immediately gets punched in the side. He groans at the sharp pain in his kidney area as he’s punched again. The wind is knocked out of him and another hit lands on his face. Someone grabs his chin and he flinches away, coughing periodically through his labored breathing, his lungs burning. 

“You want another scar and another blind eye?” The grip on his chin gets harder but Zuko manages to shake his head. 

“Don’t fucking fight. Don’t fucking bite. Or we’ll drag that other boy in your room for a beating too.” At that, Zuko feels the fight drain out of him and a hard breath of air forces its way out of his mouth in a not-sob. 

Something forces its way into his mouth, and he tries not to think about it or picture it. He finds it harder to zone out when blind-folded. His instincts are to be more aware no matter how much he just wants to fade away.

“Suck.” Someone instructs and Zuko does as he’s told. He can’t help but cry out as something enters his back side, spitting out what’s in his mouth to cough thickly around a mouthful of saliva and-  _ something _ . 

“Ow- fuck!” He cries before his mouth is stuffed full again. 

He’s too overwhelmed to really hear what they’re saying above him, but he is aware of them speaking and laughing and moaning above him. 

When something thick and warm and acrid fills his mouth, he gags once before he’s grabbed by his hair and pulled to the edge of the bed to vomit. He hears someone curse loudly and he registers more physical blows, but he’s in so much pain that he’s not sure exactly where they land. 

  
  
  
  


Zuko is thrown back into his bunk room some time later. He’s not sure how long he’d been gone. He’s shaking and his shirt is a putrid mess. He doesn’t have the energy to climb onto the top bunk so he instead curls into himself on the floor. Hot tears roll down his cheek out of his good eye but he doesn’t cry out. 

“Hey,” A deep voice says above him and he flinches back hard.”It’s just me.” The new guy coos, crouching down to look him in the eye. “Can I lift you onto the cot?” 

Zuko swallows and nods, but startles back from the hands that tentatively scoop him up into the lower bunk. A warm hand pushes back the sweaty hair on his forehead and Zuko finally focuses on his face. “There you go.” He says softly. “They’re gone.” 

Zuko feels more than hears the whimper that escapes his throat, and the new guy shushes him lightly, continuing to stroke Zuko’s hair. 

“I’ll fight them next time.” He promises. “I won’t let them hurt you.” For some reason this statement makes him cry harder and he turns his face towards the palm in his hair, relishing in the comfort he’s being given. 

After a while, after Zuko’s tears have stopped and his breathing has slowed, the hand removes itself from his hair and Zuko hears the new guy go to stand- presumably to sleep in the top bunk. His heart slams in his chest suddenly and he’s darted out to grab his wrist before he’s registered his own action. He sighs and crouches back down. 

“Is it alright if I sleep here then?” He asks gently and pats the spot by Zuko’s head. His first instinct is to say no, his stomach dropping at the thought of sharing a bed with a taller, older man, like the ones that just-

He gives himself a small shake. Would he rather be alone? 

‘ _ I won’t let them hurt you _ .’ 

Zuko finally nods and scoots as close to the wall as he can. The new guy slides in beside him, laying on his back. He gives Zuko what he thinks is a tight smile, though it’s hard to see in the dark. 

Zuko lets his head drop by his shoulder, close enough to feel the other mans’ warmth, but not too close to feel trapped or suffocated. He lets his eyes shut, and soon he’s asleep. 


	2. The Collapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The great escape-ish c:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This only ended up being five pages (my apologies) but I'm really not happy with it and just wanted to stop looking at it lol. It's not my best-written chapter because I wrote it through writers block but it will get better I promise. Just stick with me here.
> 
> TW for death, shock, and disassociation. Let me know if I missed anything!

The new guy sits next to Zuko the next morning at mess hall. 

“Took me a minute to find you.” He says quietly and Zuko looks up at him, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “But look!” He tips his bowl towards him and Zuko eyes the full dish before setting his mouth into a thin line as he looks glumly at his own, measly portion. He was slow getting here earlier, considering how sore his back and legs are from the night before. He tries not to shudder at the memory. 

“You don’t have to rub it in…” Zuko grumps finally. 

“No-!” He scoffs before taking Zuko’s bowl from his fingers. 

“What-?!” He’s cut off as the new guy’s full bowl is set into his hands. He cups it for a few seconds, staring blankly before shifting his gaze back to the new guy. 

“Why?” He asks, voice soft. 

He just smiles and shrugs. “You haven’t been eating enough.” He says simply before scooping his food into his mouth. 

Zuko isn’t stupid enough to turn down the offer, and scarfs down his food so fast it makes him nauseous. He holds his stomach for a few seconds until it settles before getting up to clean his dish. 

The new guy is looking at him out of the corner of his eye, looking amused. 

Zuko coughs into his elbow, raising an eyebrow at the man. “What?” He asks. To his dismay, the guy pokes his side, smile widening. Zuko is too surprised to smack his hand away. 

“You ate so fast I bet you’re all bloated.” He says on a laugh. 

Zuko opens and closes his mouth a few times, feeling his cheeks heat. “Wah- I- You shouldn’t be concerning yourself with my bowel movements!” He finally spits before turning on his heel. He feels his face go impossibly warmer at the sound of his good-natured laugh behind him. 

How can he be so cheerful? Zuko wonders. He’s met a few people like that here. The type of people that draw in others to them without trying. Who always see the positives and are always holding on to the smallest amount of happiness. No matter how hopeless the people around them are, they always manage to draw a smile out of them. They’re the guy everyone knows. The type of person to spread joy wherever they go. The complete opposite of Zuko… 

Zuko numbly wonders why the new guy has decided to attach himself to his side. Maybe because they were assigned to the same bunker? He thinks back to the first one-on-one conversation that they had together. 

‘ _ Are you the prince? _ ’

Zuko can’t help but to feel a bit unsettled. Could he be trying to get close to him for a reason…? Maybe someone planted him here to try to get information out of him? That would be a big coincidence for him to be assigned to the same bunk room as him but… Zuko gives his head a small shake as he wipes his bowl down. 

It might be a good idea to be a little more wary of the new guy and not let him see Zuko as vulnerable as he was the night before. Thinking about it makes his back ache and he leans back in an attempt to stretch his sore muscles. He sighs when that does nothing. 

  
  


The mines are as dark and cramped as usual, and Zuko’s arms are burning faster than they usually do. He sets down the pickaxe for a moment, trying to catch his breath. Sweat drips down his temple and he wipes it on his shoulder absently. It’s so hot and muggy in this mine that sweat and grime repeatedly drip into his eyes, making them sting. He curses quietly and tries to blink his good eye clear. 

“You okay?” The new guy pants from his right. Zuko glances at him, just stopping himself from cringing at the sight of his clothes drenched in sweat. He knows he can’t be faring any better. 

Zuko sighs roughly and nods. “Yeah,” He answers after a moment. “I just need a break.”   
“I’m sure a short break won’t hurt anything.” He answers with a smile. 

Zuko rolls his eyes. “If I’m caught sitting down I won’t have anymore legs to sit  _ with _ .” He explains, once again baffled by his naivety. 

He frowns. “When was the last time a guard came in here?” He asks and Zuko shrugs. 

“Probably not all day.” He admits. “But I’m not taking the chance.” 

He weakly chips away at the rock, dropping anything worth saving into one of the big baskets scattered around the mine. He feels the new guy's eyes on the back of his head, and Zuko can’t help but feel wary, the previous suspicions echoing in his head. 

The rock above them shudders, causing soot and sand to fall on their heads. Zuko squints up, freezing in place. Sometimes they get earth trembles down here, though rare. They usually pass after a few minutes. 

“What was that?” The new guy asks, voice an octave or two higher than usual, eyes wide. 

“Earth shake.” Zuko tells him, letting his pick-axe fall to the side, waiting to see if there will be anymore. “If there’s more than one we’re allowed to try an evac-”

Another one. But this time something like an explosion causes the ceiling to tremble, the beginning tendrils of debris falling to the floor. 

“C’mon!” Making him jump, the new guy grabs Zuko by the wrist and pulls him along behind him. “We have to get out of here!” He yells over his shoulder as another rumble rolls through the mines, shaking the rocks around them. 

Zuko’s good ear pops painfully and his bad one rings loudly. He desperately wants to cover it with the palm of his hand. He runs instead. His shoes scrape as he does so. They’re a size too big for him, which was never really an issue before. He heaves a cough, sharp pain sprouting from his lungs. Zuko lets out a surprised noise as he’s easily hefted over the new guy’s shoulder, which now digs into his hip bone. 

Smoke gathers around them and people scream as they run towards the exit. The one exit. Rocks are falling as boom after boom shakes the mines. Zuko turns his head to the side so he can cough again. A woman is stumbling next to them, struggling to run. The dress she wears is basically in tatters and her feet are bare. Zuko opens his mouth to say something- what, he doesn’t know. Encouragement maybe? Tell her to run faster, try harder? Well it doesn’t matter. Because a rock was shimmied loose from the ceiling and pummeled towards her too fast for either of them to register it was happening. Zuko swears she meets his eyes right before the sickening thud. 

Zuko screams, too shocked to do anything else. They keep running though, or Zuko should clarify- the new guy keeps running. Sunlight streams in, alerting Zuko that they’re almost to the mouth of the mines. He bangs on the guys lower back with a curled fist. 

“Let me down!” He yells up at him. He’s just slowing the new guy down like this. 

Once they’re out, squeezing past hundreds of other shrieking prisoners, the new guy sets him down. He collapses to his knees, chest heaving. He coughs and Zuko sets a hand on his shoulder. He must look concerned, because he raises a placating hand. Zuko’s eyes are drawn up, and his jaw drops at the sight of earthbenders fighting the guards. There seems to be an army of them. At least thirty, easily overpowering the low-ranking guards of the prison. 

“We need to move.” Zuko calls, leaning in to speak closer to his ear. “We can’t stay here.” 

He nods and gets to his feet, eyeing the battle going on before them. 

“What’s going on?” He asks like Zuko has any clue. He’s about to shrug when he feels intense heat against his cheek, and he moves without even thinking about it. He raises his elbows in front of his face to block the incoming flames, his bending clawing out of him like a starving animal trying to get out of a waste basket. A scream tears from his throat as he holds his ground, digging his heels into the dirt underneath him. He’s able to control them enough to deflect them, but still singes his forearms in the process. He hisses, bringing them to his chest.

A hand is set on his waist and he startles, breathing hard. The new guy is looking at him with something like admiration. Maybe even something more, but Zuko can’t put his finger on it. 

“Thank you.” He says so earnestly that Zuko has to break eye contact. “We should move before we get caught in the line of fire again.” Zuko nods his agreement, letting the man take his hand and pull him along behind him. 

“Where are we going?” Zuko asks. 

“Heading to the bunks for shelter!” He calls over his shoulder. Zuko nods though he doesn’t see. Not a bad plan made up on the spot. The bunks have a lot of sturdy concrete they can crouch by and pray for the best. 

“PRISONERS, THIS WAY!” A voice from their left bellows. They pause and look toward the sound. A small girl with black bangs nearly covering her eyes stands with her hands on her hips. “THERE’S SHELTER OVER HERE!” 

“Should we trust her?” The new guy asks him and Zuko shrugs. He looks where the other people are fighting and then in the direction of the bunker. No doubt they’ll get there soon enough, if they haven’t already. 

“Please!” She cries, her voice edging on desperate. “We don’t want to hurt you!” She then uses her earth bending to easily toss away a prison guard who was attempting to fight her. 

Zuko sets his jaw and nods. Changing their direction. “We don’t have choice but to trust her.” 

Other prisoners must think the same thing, because they’re all heading towards the small girl as well. 

“Stop!” A familiar voice calls from behind them. Zuko glances over his shoulder to see one of the men from the night before. He freezes, mouth going dry. 

“Zuko?” The new guy asks worriedly from beside him, voice strained. 

“Stop or I’m taking away food privileges.” He growls out. Zuko’s heart stutters and he stares at the guard. 

“Zuko, come on!” The new guy insists, pulling him a few steps forward. Zuko stares at the man behind them, who’s reaching for Zuko’s arm. He misses and instead grabs a handful of his shirt. Before he can be yanked back, the new guy is wrapping an arm around his waist and throwing him forward in the direction of the earth-bending girl. Zuko stumbles to the wet, hard packed earth. A jolt of pain is sent through his knees and he grunts, grinding his teeth together as he struggles back to his feet. 

There’s a scream and new guys is already on the ground, hands pressed to his throat as blood gushes through his fingers. 

“No!” Zuko chokes out. The guard wipes blood from his face and he leans down to pick up the knife he used to attack the new guy. 

He watches him mouth, ‘ _ Go _ .’, unable to speak, the light already fading as his eyes begin to unfocus. 

Zuko chokes on a sob but finally is able to tell his feet to  _ move.  _ The earthbender girl is still yelling at prisoners to move before they die, and Zuko is about a yard away from her when her eyes land on him. The ground shakes beneath him and an aggravated roar from the murderous guard rings in his ears. He’s too petrified to look back again though, so he keeps running until he reaches the little girl. 

She waves him in the direction of a hole in the ground, freshly dug out. Prisoners are rushing into it and Zuko follows. It opens up into a bunker type area, hollowed out just enough to fit them all. Or who’s left anyway. 

Zuko huddles against the wall to the left, pressing his shoulder into the hard earth and he slides to his knees, breathing hard. It’s disturbingly quiet down here. He stares at the mouth of the bunker, watching the slew of prisoners slow until no more come in. He watches the fire that brightens the sky, his good ear straining to here the now muffled rumbling of the earth moving in defense. He stares until his breathing slows and he feels his muscles relax, slumping slowly to the floor, head resting against the wall. He stares until his mind turns off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your great responses on the first chapter! This came out a bit slower than I had hoped, but I was writing through dreaded writers block. I mostly just didn't know how to go about writing this, despite knowing what I wanted to happen. I'm not sure if that makes any sense but comments and kudos are greatly appreciated and always brighten my day! I'll see in the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> I meant for that to be about five pages and it ended up being double. I also wasn't sure if I wanted Zuko to actually be saved by 'the new guy' but I felt like that wasn't really realistic... If anything they would just beat him up AND still r*pe our poor baby Zuko, so I decided to go through with it. All comments are appreciated! 
> 
> -lyn


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